The European Parliament wants to improve working conditions for employees of online platforms such as Bolt, Uber, Gorillas and other delivery services of the so-called “gig economy”. In such a job you are a slave to the algorithm, said Social Democratic MP Elisabetta Gualmini in a session of the EU parliament.
The background is a proposal from the European Commission, according to which employees of online platforms should be better protected in the future. The EU countries and the parliament in Brussels still have to agree on a compromise.
SPÖ-EU MP Evelyn Regner explained: “With the help of the new directive, we want to ensure in the future that fair working conditions and social security apply to the more than 28 million platform workers in the EU.” Green MEP Monika Vana described the votes as significant “progress in the fight for fair labor rights for all”.
Status of employee instead of freelancer
Under the proposal, platform workers could be classified as employees — and not as freelancers as before. This means they are entitled to basic workers’ rights such as pensions, health insurance and unemployment insurance, said SPD MEP Gaby Bischoff.
MEP for the German Left, Özlem Alev Demirel, also welcomed the project. Workers also have the right to associate and negotiate collective agreements, she said. The proposal also aims to regulate how digital work platforms should use algorithms and artificial intelligence to monitor and evaluate employees.
Mjam criticizes plans of the EU parliament
Criticism comes from the food delivery company Mjam in Austria. A change would result in a serious restriction of flexible working time models in Austria, such as the free employee model. “All drivers employed by mjam, whether they choose real or freelance work, are subject to health, accident, pension and unemployment insurance,” said Alexander Gaied, COO of mjam, according to a broadcast on Thursday. Many postal operators would appreciate the flexibility that the current EU Parliament decision would make impossible.
FDP MEP Svenja Hahn is also skeptical about the proposal. According to you, he is abolishing self-employment far beyond delivery or driving services. “In effect, all people offering their services through digital work platforms would be forced into an employment relationship,” said Hahn. Gualmini strongly disagreed on Thursday.
The president of the German trade union federation, Yasmin Fahimi, stressed that “bogus self-employment and exploitation in this shadow labor market” must be effectively contained.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
